Apparatus for forming and vulcanizing rubber articles.



N. W. MULEOD.

APPARATUS POR FORMING AND VULGANIZING RUBBER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1913.

Patented Nov. 24, 19144 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 mvnbor NANA/1Q Laod Abb'ys'.

N. W. MGLEOD.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND VULGANIZING RUBBER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2. 1913.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

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NELSON W. MOLEOI), OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGN'OR T0 THE AMERICANTIRE` COMPANY, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND VULCANIZING RUBBER ARTICLES.

Specification ot Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 24, 1914.

Application led August 2, 1913. Serial No. 782,623.

To all whom it may concern v Beit lmown that I, NELSON W. MoLnon, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the lcity ofSt. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Imrovements in Apparatus for Forming and ulcanizing Rubber Articles, 'ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for use in forming and vulcanizingrubber ar ticles,`the apparatus being designed more lparticularly foruse in forming and vulcanizing hollow rubber tires, the structures ofwhich comprise rubber compounds, and fabric for reinforcing the rubbercompounds.

My invention relates more particularly to certain specific improvementsin that construction of apparatus for forming and vulcanizing rubber,articles which comprises a vulcanizer pot, a mold the parts of which arepressed together within the vulcanizer pot, and means for conductingfluid from the exterior of the vulcanizer pot to the cavity of the mold.

My improvement consists in an improved fiuid receiver on the exterior ofthe vulcanizer pot, which is connected with the cavity ofthe mold.

My improvement consists further in an I improved construction of thefluid conductor connection.

My improvement consists further in an improved construction of nozzlefor connecting the fluid conducting pipe with the mold cavity.

. My improvement consists further in an improved construction ofautomatic valve .device located between the cavity of the mold andthe'chamber of the vulcanizer pot.

Figure I is a vertical section of my a paratus. Fig. II is in part aplan view o one of the sections of one of my molds, and the fluidconductor connections entering the mold, and in part a section of theabutment ring of the mold and a tire in the mold. Fig. III is anenlarged cross section through one of my molds and the fluid conductorconnection leading thereinto. Fig. IV is an enlarged cross sectionthrough one of my molds'and the automatic valve device pro- Vidingcommunication between the cavity of mold and the chamber of thevulcanizer pot. In the drawings, I have illustrated my apparatus ofpreferred construction, [wit the article to be treated shown as a rubbertire, designated A, the tire having two edges at its inner circle andbeing built up of fabric and rubber com ound, in accordance with theusual practice in making hollow tires of the pneumatic tire type. Thetires are incased within suitable sectional molds B,`each moldincluding, in addition to shell sections, an abutment ring b, which issituated between the edges at the inner circle of the tire when thebuilt up raw tire is placed within the mold, to remain in such positionthroughout the treatment of tho tire. The abutment ring, by its positionbctween the edges of the tire, permits of the tire edges bein tightlyclamped between said abutment ring and the shell sections of the mold toproduce fluid tight joints, in order that fluids introduced into thetire occupyingv the mold cavity, may be retained therein for thetreatment of the tire. Fluids areV delivered into the tires by meanswhich will be hereinafter fully described.

1 designates a vulcanizer pot, through which steam is circulated, thepot, with this object in view, havin connected to it pi es 2 and 3, oneof whic serves to admit live steam to the pot and the other of whichallows the steam to escape from the pot. The vulcanizer pot has aclosure 4, which may be held in closed position by any suitable means,access to the pot being permitted by moving, either the body ofthe potor the closure'` relative to the other part of the pct.

5 designates a mold moving means in the form of a hydraulic ram providedwith a head or table 6, the latter being situated within the vulcanizerpot and being movable therein. The ram head 6 serves as a support forthe molds B, and upon the movement of the ram and its head toward theopposing closure 4, the pressure exerted upon the sectional molds Bcauses the tires therein to be clamped within the molds hetween the moldsections and the abutment ring b to such degree as to render the jointsof the mold fiuid tight. Steam admitted into the vulcanizer pot is,therefore, ei:-

B, for the purpose of first fully expanding and compressing raw tires insaid molds and, thereafter, vulcanlzmg the interior portions of thetires, while the exterior portions of .the'tires are being vulcanizedfrom heat transmitted through the mold shells. It will, however,facilitate the description tofirst describe an automatic valve device C,by which communication -is established l between the interiors of eachmold and the vuleanizer pot to, at one time vent air from themold whileanother fiuid is being delivered into the mold, and at another' timeadmitsteam into the mold from the pot to facilitate discharge of. fluidcontents of the mold. This valve device C Jcomprises a tube 8 whichextends through the abutmentring of the mold, the said tube heilig`providedl at its inner end with a pipe 9 extending upwardly therefrom inthe mold cavity so that its upper end terminates -in proximity to theinner face of the tire A, the pipe 9haVing-in vits wall, near its up-lper end, apertures 10 which provide lfor vthe pipe receiving fluidcontents ofthe tire iat the greatest elevation therein, or admitting.

' fluid into the tire at the same point. At

the outer end of the tube' 8 is a valve cas. ing 11', containing .avalve chamber 12, in. which is a valve seat 13. Extending through theouter end of the valve casing 11 is a duct 14, which communicates withthe v ulcanizer pot' 1. A-valve stem15 carrying a valve 16 is operablein guides in the valve casing and a light spring 17 tends to hold thevalve from its seat when only air is present in the tube 8 andthe tirein the mold. y

'As previously mentioned, I provideI in my apparatus for delivery offluid to the in teriors ofthe moldsiho'used within the vulcanizerpot, torstexpand the tires therein outwardly to the walls of the mold cavities.andcompress the rubber compounds of the tires, and after withdrawingthe4 fluid utilized for this purpose, introduce into the molds avulcanizing fiuid. The introduction of these fluids into the molds andthe draining ofV fiuids from the molds is accomplishedby fiuidconducting means of which a description will now be given.

20 designates aV fluid receiver located exteriorly of the vulcanizerpot, the receiver be ing preferably in the form of a tube extending inAthe line of travel of the hydraulic ram 5, and having a closed lowerend. The Huid receiver 20-is .preferably attached to the vulcanizer potin a suspended position by 'a socket and flanged collar coupling 21,through which and the vulcanizer pot, a fluid conducting pipe, to behereinafter more particularly referred to, operates. Water is deliveredunder pressure to the receiver 20, through a pipe 22, which is suppliedwith a gage 23. The pipe 22 is provided with a cut ofi' valve 25. Thewater delivered through the pipe 22 is forced therethrough underpressure derived by any suitable means, such, for example, as a pump,(not shown). The pipe 22 has connected to it a drain'pipe 28, which issupplied with a eut ofll valve 29. l

30 designates the previously mentioned fluid conducting pipe extendingfrom Ithe fluid receiverv 2O into the vulcanizer pot 1. This pipe 30 isconnected to the head of the ram 5 and is carried with said ram in itsmovements. located within the fiuld receiver 20 and, as it reciprocatesin said receiver, there is constant communication between the pipe 30and the receiver.l The pipe 30' is provided at its upper end with a pipecoupling member 39.

31 designates a fiuid conducting pipe of a flexible manifold ofserpentineshape having a coupling member 39, which is attached to thecoupling member39 on the pipe 30 to place the conducting pipe 3 1- incommunication with the conducting pipe 30 operable in the fluid receiver20. 4The conducting pipe 31 is 'located above the 'ramvhead,and ispreferably fiexible.

4,32 designates nozzles arranged'in and extending through the abutmentrings b ofthe than the internal diameters of'fluid conductingpipesiitted to the nozzles exteriorly of the.,molds. The nozzles 32extend to the cavities or interiors of the molds to such de grecs astoprovide for pipes 34 attached The-pipe is open, at its end.

thereto at their inner ends being located at approximately the centers'of the cavities within the tires confined in the molds. The pipes 34,which extend downwardly and rest upon the inside faces of the confinedtires, have-apertures 35 in their walls near their lower ends. Thenozzles 32 areprovided externally of the molds with nipples 36, havingducts 37 therein, communicating with the longitudinal ducts in thenozzles.

44 designates flexible fluid conducting pipes attached to nipples of thenozzles 32, by which communication is established between a series ofmolds used in my apparatus, 'the said pipes bein provided withconnecting coupling mem ers 39. The couplings comprising said membersare preferably of the well known'air brake coupling type. The conductingpipe 31 in communication with the conducting pipe 30 is fastened tooneof the nipples ofthe nozzle 32 of the mold next adjacent to the ramhead 6, and Huid passing through the pipe 31 is de- 100 molds B, eachnozzle having a longitudinal duct 33 therein, which is ofless rdiam'eterlivered to said nipple to pass through the nozzle to the interior of thetire confined within said mold. It is also to be noted that the fluidwill pass to the second nipple of the nozzle and enter the firstconducting ipe 44. From the last mentioned pipe the uid enters thenozzle 32 associated with the second mold and pai-takes of flow in thetwo directions similar to that it partook of at the first nozzle. Flowof fluid is thus continued throughout the entire series of moldsconnected in series by the pipes 44.

I claim z- 1. A vulcanizer apparatus comprising a vulcanizer pot, moldmoving means in said pot, a mold movable by said mold movin means, afluid conducting pipe in communication With said mold carried by saidmold moving means, and a fluid receiver in which said conducting pipereciprocates during the movement of said mold moving means, said fluidconducting pipe being in constant communication with the fluid receiver.

2. A vulcanizing apparatus comprising a vulcanizer pot, a ram in saidpot, a mold carried by said ram, a fluid conducting pipe incommunication with said mold carried by said ram, and a fluid receiverin which said fluid conducting pipe reciprocates during the movement ofsaid ram, said conducting pi e being in constant communication with saidreceiver.

NELSON W. MoLEOD. In the presence of-- E. CLARK, E. B. LINN.

